where can i buy sweet potato seeds?

alisherMarch 13, 2010

Hi everyone,

Can anybody help me to find a reliable place to order sweet potato seeds please? I am planning to take the seeds and try to grow them in another country where there are no sweet potatoes. Thanks a lot for all your advices.

Sorry but sweet potatoes aren't grown from seeds. They are grown from what are called "slips" - small plants that sprout off of existing sweet potatoes.

I suppose you could try taking some sweet potatoes with you to grow slips on once you got there - if they can make it thru the customs and Ag inspections. You'll want to check ahead of time as many countries prohibit import of non-native agricultural products.

In the temperate zone sweet potatoes are grown from last year's tubers. I have had sweet potatoes blossom tho, here in zone 6b but didn't produce any seeds that I know of. Here is a link that might help you if you are into plant breeding. Good luck.

Alisher - can you tell us which country you are going to? Is it in Europe, Africa? Asia? 3 reasons I ask: lots of places in Europe you can get imported sweet potatoes in the supermarket veg section even though they don't grow in that country, so you could get slips from those. Secondly, are you sure you can't get plants there? For example Thompson and Morgan and Dobies sell sweet potato starter plants in the UK. And thirdly, are you sure that sweet potatoes will grow where you are going to? For example, here you would need to grow them in a greenhouse. Just some things to consider while you plan your project.